


Two is All We Need

by cherrylipstick



Category: Red Dead Redemption
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, DAMN O'DRISCOLLS, F/M, Sadie IS Arthur's redemption, Slow Burn, no TB, sexual content in later chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-10-07 15:58:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17368955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrylipstick/pseuds/cherrylipstick
Summary: Sadie Adler becomes a bounty hunter after losing her husband to the O’Driscolls, vowing revenge against the gang - using any means necessary. When she sets her eyes on one particular member of the Van der Linde gang, her life was about to take a different turn - and so was his.AU where Sadie joins Dutch’s gangafterbecoming a bounty hunter.





	Two is All We Need

_Murderers and thieves, all of them._  
  
That was Sadie Adler’s first impression of the Van der Linde gang.  
  
She’d read about them in the newspaper after a trip to Valentine with her husband, Jake.  
  
_The Blackwater Massacre_.

The front page of the New Hanover Gazette had copious details about how the gang had painted the town red after a botched ferry robbery. Now the Pinkertons had Blackwater under lockdown - no one could go in or out of the town.

Sadie could only imagine the terror the people of Blackwater experienced.  
  
“Horrible, isn’t it?” Jake noted grimly. “Just horrible.”  
  
“Yeah,” she agreed. “I’m real glad it’s nowhere near us.”

Adler Ranch was indeed far, far away from Blackwater - it was located in the Grizzlies, far up north in the state of Ambarino.

The couple bought the ranch when they got married almost three years ago. The place was secluded enough; away from people and away from any dangerous wildlife - just the way they liked it. Valentine - the closest town - was a couple of hours away.  
  
Despite the fact that she was living in one of the most isolated places in the state, Sadie never felt lonely. Jake was all the company that she needed.

Life was simple at the ranch, and she preferred it that way. The couple shared all the work. Cooking, hunting, cleaning - they took turns to do them.  
  
“We’re safe here, Sadie,” Jake pressed a kiss to her forehead when he noticed the grim expression on her face. “Don’t worry too much.”

She gave her husband an endearing smile, one that she reserved just for him.

“As long as I’m with you, Jake.”

“I know,” he smiled back at her. “Now, I've horses to tend to.”  
  
“I’ll go with you, honey.”

Jake’s smile turned into a mischievous grin and he broke into a run, startling his wife.

“Not if you're slow!” he yelled from outside the cabin, laughing. “Race you to the horses!”  
  
“Hey, don’t leave me alone!” she laughed playfully, setting down her cup of coffee on the table.

That night, she fell asleep in her husband’s arms, Blackwater long forgotten.

 

* * *

 

A few weeks later, the Adlers found themselves stuck at the ranch, waiting for a forecasted storm to pass by. The couple had prepared themselves for this - all the animals were locked away in the barn, and they’d stored enough food and water inside the cabin to last for days.

Despite all that, nothing could have prepared them for that evening.

The cabin felt colder than usual, and the simple nightgown that Sadie wore did little to keep her warm. She wrapped a blanket around herself as she stared into the fireplace, wondering when the storm will pass. 

“A winter storm in May,” Jake said in disbelief as he stood next to his wife, putting an arm around her. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah. I’m just a little cold, Jakey,” she answered.

“We'll be okay,” he reassured her with a quick kiss. “We have enough food-” 

Jake's sentence was cut short by a loud gunshot.

“What’s that noise?” Sadie asked, panicking.

“Stay here,” Jake warned her as he went to the window.

Through the window, Sadie caught a quick glimpse of what was outside.

No less than ten men were outside their cabin. Among them, a fat and bearded man stood tall - he seemed to be their leader.

They were all armed.  
  
“Sadie, go to the cellar,” Jake instructed her as he moved to grab his rifle.  
  
She grabbed her husband’s arm and protested, “I’m not leaving you behind, Jake.”  
  
“No buts, Sadie. Go to the cellar and do not get out unless you know it’s safe.”

Sadie weighed her options. Going out through the front door was not possible. She could try escaping through the side door, but the snow was thick and they’ll pick up on her trail.

The cellar was the safest place to be. There was no other choice.

“Sadie, please,” Jake insisted, the urgency in his voice becoming more apparent. “You’ll be safe in the cellar, I promise.”

“It’s not my safety I’m worried about, Jake,” she stated breathlessly.

“I know,” he nodded. “Please don’t argue with me, Sadie.”

It wasn’t an argument that she could win - Jake was just as stubborn as she is.

With a heavy heart, Sadie complied with her husband’s orders and made her way to the cellar, grabbing a knife from the dining table in the process. The trapdoor leading to the cellar was located near their bed, hidden underneath a rug and a chest. Jake hurriedly moved both items to open the trapdoor.

He gave her one last kiss before she walked into the cellar.

“Please, Jake. Be safe,” she pleaded, gripping his hand tight.

“I will, Sadie.”

She reluctantly let him go and walked into the cellar. She heard him shutting the trapdoor and moving the rug and chest to conceal it, leaving her alone with only a knife in her hand. The cellar was only dimly illuminated by an oil lamp in one corner. The sound of the front door swinging open indicated that Jake had gone outside to confront the men.  
  
“Gentlemen,” Sadie heard her husband say loudly. “What brings you here?”

“Well, Mister - we’re just passin’ by. There’s a storm comin’ soon, haven’t you heard? Do you mind if we stay here for a while?”  
  
The men laughed. They didn’t sound friendly at all, and Sadie had a sinking feeling in her stomach that these men were seeking more than just shelter. Evidently, Jake felt the same way because he politely turned them away.  
  
“I’m afraid you’re not welcome here, gentlemen. Please leave. There’s nothing I can offer you here. This cabin is too small to shelter all of you.”  
  
“Oh, come on, Mister. Have a heart. We’ll all freeze to death out here!”

“I won’t ask you twice. Please leave.”

Sadie nearly jumped when she heard a gunshot. 

It was probably Jake firing a warning shot - at least she hoped so.

More gunshots followed, accompanied by shouting. A few moments later, she heard the front door swinging open but she knew it wasn't Jake who entered - at least not alone.

“This stubborn bastard is still alive!” a male voice declared.

Another gunshot - this time it was loud and clear.

“That’ll teach you not to mess with the O’Driscolls!”  
  
Roars of laughter can be heard and Sadie had to put her hand over her mouth to prevent herself from screaming.

 _They killed Jake._  
  
More footsteps followed.  
  
“Well, lookie here. Bastard has a wife!”  
  
Sadie froze.  
  
“Sadie Adler. Nice name. Pretty little thing, too.”  
  
It was then she realized that they were looking at her wedding photo.  
  
“Search the ranch, boys. She might still be around.”

“First man to find her gets her all to himself!”

The way they said those words made Sadie feel sick to her stomach, and she resisted the urge to vomit.

 

* * *

 

_Three days._

Sadie was grateful that the O'Driscolls had given up on finding her but for three days straight, she was trapped in the cellar and she was starting to feel claustrophobic.  
  
Jake had stored some food in the cellar as emergency rations - mostly canned food and oatcakes - but she had barely eaten anything.

She didn’t feel hungry anyway. 

Whatever hunger she felt had been replaced by a mixture of disgust, sorrow, and anger. The O’Driscolls have been playing music all day long, and Sadie had to cover her ears to keep herself from going insane. They’d just murdered her husband in cold blood and there they were, having a party and talking merrily among themselves.  
  
_Animals_.  
  
She hadn’t properly slept since she went into the cellar. She took quick naps whenever she could, hoping that she’d wake up in Jake's arms and that this was all just one long and horrible nightmare; but every time she woke up she’d be greeted by the voices of the men who killed her husband.

She was just about to fall asleep when she heard a male voice.  
  
“Hello?”  
  
It sounded like it came from outside the cabin, and she instantly felt a glimmer of hope.

Maybe it’s the law.

She knew very well that there aren’t any towns or sheriffs in Ambarino but she clung to her hopes.  
  
“Shut up, Billy!” one of the O’Driscolls shushed. The music ceased playing, and frantic footsteps can be heard throughout the cabin.

They were clearly not expecting a visitor.  
  
“Excuse me? Hello?” the voice outside called again. “Oh well, hello friend!”  
  
“What you want?” an O’Driscoll answered.  
  
“I am very sorry to disturb you. Uh, my friends and I, well, we got into, some… trouble up the way. Lost in the storm."  
  
Sadie knew by now that whoever this man was, he was definitely not a lawman. He was just a lost traveller and the O’Driscolls were going to needlessly kill him if he doesn’t leave.  
  
More of the O’Driscolls must’ve gone outside.  
  
“We can’t help you, Mister.”  
  
Sadie strained hard to hear their conversation. It didn’t sound like it went well. This stranger was strangely persistent and the O’Driscolls were losing their patience with every passing second.  
  
“I think you should go now, buddy.”  
  
“Now, friend… I ain’t asking for much. Please, I am… kinda desperate.”

Sadie wished that there was a way she could tell this unfortunate visitor to run away. At this rate, she was inclined to believe that he had a death wish.  
  
“Hey… I don’t believe it! Come here, partner. Come here!”

 _Run away, please_.  
  
“It’s goddamn Dutch van der Linde, you morons!” one of the O’Driscolls shouted in a gleeful tone. “Colm is going to shit his pants!”

Sadie's eyes widened.

 _Dutch van der Linde_?

Gunshots and incoherent yelling filled the air before she could process her thoughts. Whatever was going on outside, she definitely didn’t want to come out now.  
  
The shooting stopped after a minute or two.  
  
“One of them’s making a run for it, Arthur!” she heard the man identified as Dutch yell.  
  
Two more distant gunshots followed.  
  
“That’s my boy, Arthur. Good shooting,” she heard Dutch praising the man named Arthur. “Anyway, goddamn O’Driscoll’s boys here? Why?”  
  
A gruff male voice answered, “I don’t know. Maybe same reason as us."  
  
“Okay, let’s worry about that later,” Dutch said. “Micah, go bring the horses closer to the house. Arthur, let’s go search the cabin.”  
  
Sadie brought the knife in her hand closer upon hearing Dutch’s words.  
  
There only seemed to be three of them - Dutch, Arthur, and Micah, if she heard their names correctly - but if they managed to kill all of the O’Driscolls, then she doesn’t stand a chance against them.

If they really belonged to the same gang that was involved in the Blackwater massacre, her chances of surviving an encounter with them would be zero.

How unlucky can a person be to get robbed twice within the span of a few days?

“Smells like a party in here,” Arthur commented as he surveyed the cabin.  
  
“Turn the place upside down, grab as many supplies as you can. We need the essentials. Food, medicine… whiskey.”  
  
They were looting her home. She was starting to get infuriated but she kept her cool.

 _Better your belongings than your life, Sadie,_  she told herself.  
  
“O’Driscolls!” Dutch started. “I don’t believe it.”  
  
“It’s a strange one, alright. Maybe they’re hiding up here too. There’s a big price on Colm O’Driscoll’s head - nearly as big as the one on yours.”  
  
“Wanting Colm dead is about the only thing me and Uncle Sam agree on.”  
  
“Big old pool of blood on the floor here,” Arthur noted.  
  
“I saw.”  
  
“Probably the poor bastard who lived here. Micah found a dead body in the wagon outside.”  
  
_Oh no… Jakey. My poor Jakey_.  
  
She fought back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes and bit her tongue in an effort to stay silent.  
  
The floorboards above her creaked as the two men made their way around the cabin, and Sadie could tell that they were now standing near the cellar. If they moved the chest and rug just a little bit, they would discover the trapdoor.

Sadie held her breath in trepidation.

Two dangerous outlaws were in her home, and she was only armed with a knife.

“Place is dry, and warm - we could maybe move the women and Jack down here,” Arthur suggested.  
  
“Maybe. We’ll see how they are when we get back. I don’t really want us to split up.”  
  
_Please, just go away_ , Sadie silently prayed.  
  
“Huh,” the voice belonging to Arthur said, “looks like the poor bastard was married too, at some point. Wonder what happened to her?”

Her wedding photo. Of course.

“You seen any women around here?” Dutch questioned him.

“No. I hope she's alright, but knowing the O'Driscolls…”  
  
“If we can’t eat it or drink it, put it down,” Dutch sighed. “Keep searching while I pack these on the horses. Grab anything you think we can use, then meet me out here.”  
  
Arthur walked around the cabin, looking for more items to take.  
  
“Come on, Arthur! Get a move on!” Dutch shouted impatiently from outside the cabin.  
  
“Alright, I’m coming.”  
  
“Micah, Arthur - keep looking for stuff. Arthur, go see if there’s anything in that barn. Micah, you search the cabin, see what we missed.”  
  
“Run along, Arthur. Be a good little boy and check the barn, like Dutch told you,” the man named Micah sneered.

Sadie instantly disliked Micah.  
  
“Shut up, Micah,” she heard Arthur say.

She heard the sound of the chest covering the trapdoor being moved to the side.

Micah will find her.

She slowly backed away from the trapdoor and counted to three; preparing to lunge at this man with a knife.

_One._

The chest was being opened, and she could hear Micah rummaging through the items inside.

_Two._

“Oh, this is nice,” Micah said to himself, “real nice.”

_Three._

Nothing happened.

Sadie heard him walking away from the cellar. She wanted to sigh in relief but she held her breath, afraid that Micah would somehow hear her.  
  
Another minute or two passed before the men regrouped inside the cabin.  
  
“So, Arthur. What do you think? Should we stay here?” Dutch questioned. 

Sadie heard a sigh from Arthur.

“The O’Driscolls were here. Who’s to say that there aren’t more of them nearby?"  
  
“He’s right, Dutch,” Micah agreed with him.  
  
“We have starving and injured people in our care right now. If the O’Driscolls come back here... I don’t know if we can survive an O’Driscoll attack in our current condition. We’ve enough trouble in our hands with the Pinkertons chasing after us.”  
  
“We’ve gathered enough supplies here. Let’s head back to Colter. Hopefully the O’Driscolls still think it’s abandoned,” Dutch declared after a moment of silence.  
  
Sadie waited for a minute or two before mustering the courage to venture outside the cellar, still holding a knife in her hand.  
  
She spent three years transforming the cabin into a cozy home and in just three days, her once idyllic cabin was in a sorry state.

Broken dishes, plates and empty cans were scattered on the floor. There were pieces of shattered glass mixed with blood near the side door.

Still barefoot, she carefully tiptoed through the mess, making her way to the front. She slowly opened the front door to venture outside, hoping to be prepared for the sight of her dead husband.

Dead O’Driscolls littered the ground, but she felt no sympathy for them.  
  
_Good riddance._  
  
There was a wagon in front, just as the man named Arthur mentioned.  
  
She broke down when she saw Jake’s body underneath the canvas covering the wagon. She fell to her knees; not caring that the snow was engulfing her, or that the harsh wind was biting into her skin.  
  
“Don’t leave me alone,” she whispered to no one in particular, tears streaming down her face. “Please.”

Jake was the only family she had - the rest were either dead or want nothing to do with her. She had distant relatives living in Canada but the last time she saw them was when she was a little girl, when they came over to visit her family.

For the first time in forever, she felt alone and lost. Grief and anger battled in her mind, but one thing prevailed.

_I can't let Jake die like this._

 

* * *

 

The idea of a wife burying her husband was unfathomable to Sadie but there she was, digging a grave for her own husband.

She’d chosen to bury him in front of the cabin. It took her two days to properly bury her husband, all by herself. The storm had subsided by then, making her job a little bit easier. She kept a carbine repeater nearby at all times, in case more uninvited guests came - thankfully, none came.

Jake won’t come back to life no matter how long she waited or how hard she cried.

_No._

And Jake definitely wouldn’t want to see her being this miserable.  
  
When she was done, she packed whatever clothes she had left.

They didn’t leave much behind - they’ve stolen nearly everything she owned. No animals were left at the barn, and almost all of her valuables were gone, save for the well-hidden ones.

Most of all, her harmonica was gone. It had been a gift from Jake, and now that he was gone, it was the only thing that she cherished more than her wedding ring.

This only fuelled her anger and determination to kill every single O’Driscoll that she will come across in the future.

She looted some food, ammo and tonics from the dead O’Driscolls - she’d left them frozen on the spot. In her mind, they didn't even deserve a proper burial for what they did to her husband.  
  
She doesn’t plan on coming back anyway.  
  
She took one last look at the cabin and said a silent goodbye, her fingers clutching the carbine repeater tight.  
  
She knew how to use a gun, and she knew how to hunt - the only difference this time was that her targets were men instead of animals.  
  
_The O’Driscolls will pay for this_.


End file.
